Nebraska junior defensive back Braxton Clark operates with the sort of wisdom one might expect from a fifth-year collegiate player.Â
He strives for consistency. Daily consistency. Even on days when he's not feeling particularly well or his legs are sore, he says, he tries to put forth maximum effort.
That's what leaders do, and Clark is trying to improve as a leader.Â
In his mind, that means "being a leader on the field and off the field," he told reporters following Monday's practice, the 10th of Nebraska's spring season. "It might mean making sure guys get home safely on the weekend or making sure they're in their playbook every day even when they're not in the film room."
The 6-foot-4, 200-pound Clark, a native of Orlando, Florida, apparently has not only the wisdom and want-to of a potential leader, but also the patience. He shows up with a positive attitude despite having started only one game in his collegiate career, against Purdue in 2019. He was poised for a prominent role in 2020, but suffered a season-ending shoulder injury during preseason camp. Last season, he made five tackles and broke up two passes.Â
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This spring, he's in spirited daily competition in a Nebraska defensive backfield full of new faces. The Huskers must replace three starters in cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt and safeties Marquel Dismuke and Deontai Williams. Only junior corner Quinton Newsome returns as a starter in the secondary and, based on interviews this spring, Newsome clearly is the favorite to win the job in 2022.
Meanwhile, Clark is one of a handful of corners vying for the starting job opposite Newsome. Or so it appears.
This much is certain: He keeps Williams' words of wisdom in mind as he pushes forward into the late stages of spring camp. Â
To be sure, Clark paints a picture of Williams being a supreme leader.
"Deontai Williams always made sure we were on point," Clark said. "He always made sure we were mentally tough and mentally focused."Â
Williams started the first eight games at safety in 2021 before missing the final four after suffering a knee injury against Minnesota. In those eight games, Williams' production was excellent. He made 46 tackles and had four interceptions, his interception total ranking 11th nationally at the end of the regular season.
Nebraska defensive coordinator Erik Chinander has said he basically didn't need to coach Dismuke and Williams because they were so locked in on their craft and understood the defense (and opposing offenses) at such a high level.
As for Williams' leadership style, "Sometimes if you'd mess up on a play, he'd kind of joke with you and make you mad a little bit," Clark said. "Then, sometimes, he would just get on you and tell you, 'You can't do that, it's not acceptable.'Â
"Sometimes you need that hard, tough love, and sometimes you just need somebody to try to teach you the right way."
Clark said he uses "a little bit of both" ways to lead younger players.Â
"Sometimes it's OK to joke and get in their heads a little and try to get them rattled," he said. "At the same time, we want seriousness. It's all about business on the field."Â
Nebraska fifth-year secondary coach Travis Fisher would have it no other way. He's all about competition. To wit: He's been known to tell defensive backs he's bringing in players to replace them.Â
Along those lines, Fisher recruited transfers Tommi Hill (Arizona State), Omar Brown (Northern Iowa) and Javier Morton (junior college), among others, to bolster cornerback competition.Â
Bottom line, Fisher's entire secondary group has plenty to prove this year.
"We're always going to have that chip on our shoulder," Clark said, "because we want to keep this thing rolling, and we want to improve on top of that. So we've been working even harder. Coach Chins has us focusing on the little things. I feel like the little things are really going to help in the long run.
"I feel like we've just got to lock in. We've been doing a lot of situational plays. I just feel like we're going in the right direction."Â Â
He's trying to help lead the way, just as Williams did before him.
Clark appreciated Williams at the time, and appreciates him even more now that he's gone.
"Now it's me in that position," he said.